Tape serving machine



Oct. 22, 1 946: KRUEGER 2,409,872

TAPE SERVING MACHINE Filed Dec. 7. 1944 IIIIIlI/IIIIIIIJII/IA #54 INVENTOR 77/500065 6 Kiwi 65R ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 22, 1946 2,409,872 TAPE SERVING NEACHINE Theodore H. Krueger,

to Better Packages I of New York Stratford, Conn, assignor ncorporated, a corporation ApplieationDecember '7, 1944, Serial No. 567,051

This application is a continuation in part of an application for patent filed by me August 3, 1940, Serial No. 350,743, for Tape serving machines, now Patent No. 2,370,671 granted March 6, 1945'.

This invention relates to machines for the delivery of moistened sealing tape and rela es more particularly to means for controlling the moistening of the tape by adjustment of the liquid level in the moistening unit. As particularly applied to tape delivering machines of the type which moisten the tape by means of brushes with which the tape is brought in contact, it relates to improved means for maintaining a constant amount of moisture at the portion of the brushes which contact the tape.

Tape moistening machines of many types and varieties have been proposed having various expedients ior moistening gummed tape to cause it to adhere to the object to which it is applied. It has been suggested in the prior art to place a brush or Wick in a tank with the top of the brush extending over the top of the tank and to cause the tape to move over the top of the brush. The liquid in the tank, which is customarily water, rises through the brushes by capillary attraction. In machines in which the tape is delivered by grasping the end of the tape and manually pulling it over the top of the brush, such moistening units are usually satisfactory, since the maximum speed at which the tape can be drawn over the brush is not so fast that the end of the brush is not easily supplied with moisture by the capillary attraction even if the water gets somewhat, low in the tank. Howevenit has been found that in tape delivering machines in which the feed is automatic or in which gearing is used to increase the speed and hence is faster than in manual delivery machines, the tape goes over the brush with such speed that the moistening unit becomes inefficient as capillary attraction is not fast enough to provide the proper amount of moisture at the end of the brush if the liquid level in the moistening unit is lower than a definite minimum, as will occur after extended use of the machine.

To meet this objection it has been proposed to provide moistening units having a reserve fountain which keeps the level of the water constant as long as any water remains in the fountain, and which permits the machine to be operated for a considerably longer period of time without the necessity of stopping operations to replenish the liquid supply. This has previously been accomplished by mounting the fountain, which may 'take the form of an ordinary'glass bottle, directly 5 Claims. (Cl. 91--38) over the tape moistening tank. The lower end of the fountain ordinarily is. submerged in the moistening unit tank and the liquid level is determined by the position of the open end of the fountain. When the water goes down in the tank to below this level the vacuum in tain is broken and more water is delivered from the fountain until the proper level is achieved again.

. Considerable disadvantage, however, has arisen from the use of this type of moisture fountain in that in refilling the fountain and replacing the same, it is always diilicult and usually impossible to avoid spilling some of the liquid as the bottle is turned over to place it in position in the tank. This results in wetting some of the gum on the tape in the machine, and in gumming up the machine in the zone of tape delivery, where it will not operate efliciently unless dry. Even a careful operator can scarcely avoid spilling some of the water as the bottle is overturned.

Another disadvantage of the present type of fountain arises from the fact that the fountain is located right at the point where the tape is delivered and hence is usually in the operators way, and when the machine is being operated at high speed, is liable to be knocked off, or broken, thus flooding the machine and rendering it inoperative. Even if the contents of the fountain are not spilled, the position of the fountain very often interferes with the manipulation of the delivering mechanism.

It is an object of this invention to provide a liquid fountain situated entirely outside the main frame of the machine and out of the way of the operator, which will nevertheless maintain the constant level in the moistening unit so that the brushes will always be provided with sufficient moisture no matter at what speed the machine is operated.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a fountain sufficiently removed from the dry tape and tape supply so that the fountain may be applied to the machine when full, with any spilling which occurs taking place outside the machine and not in the tape delivery Zone.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a moistening unit and fountain wherein the level of moisture in the moistening unitmay be adjusted to suit the needs of the operator, as for example to provide a higher moisture level when the machine is to be operated at high speeds.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a fountain mounted in an inclined position the fOllH- the liquid until -the on the side of a tape serving machine which owing to such mounting does not project above the top of the machine endwise in the liquid.

Further objects and advantages will appear from the appended description and drawing, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a .tape delivering machine with an inclined fountain applied to the side thereof Figure 2 is a transverse vertical on the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section similar to Figure 3, showing a modified construction.

In the accompanying drawing one specific form of tape delivering machine is illustrated by way .the fountain but it is to be understood that not limited to the particular type of machine shown.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the tape delivering machine holds section taken What is usually termed the moistening couple.

In the construction shown the brush tank 85 is provided with a hollow which is preferably integral therewith, and which This will raise the level of orifice in the end of the tube the projection 36.

is again sealed. As the clined which might splash.

The fountain may suitably be supported in inclined positio against the outside of the frame Owing to the inficient volume may be utilized without having it project above or substantially above the top of the machine into a position where it might be swung so as -to withdraw the projection 36 through the opening 36a in the side wall.

It is sometimes desirable, in view of the character of the gum or tape being used, or in view of the speed at which the machine is being operated, to vary the level of the moisture in the tank 35, and

Figure 4 shows a modified construction in which the fountain 50 is end of the neck 52 so as to support the fountain in desired adjusted position.

While I have illustrated and described in deits principle What is'claimed is: 1. In a tape moistening machine having a moistening means including a tank having a capillary moisture applying element therein, the upper end of which extends above the surface of the liquid in said tank and is normally in the path of travel of the tape, means outside the side walls of said frame for maintaining a constant level of liquid in the tank, including an auxiliary cup outside of the wall of the frame, a supporting bracket mounted on said wall behind and above said auxiliary cup, a bottle overturned in said auxiliary cup and resting in said bracket in slanting position, and a connection from said cup to said tank.

2. In a tape moistening machine having a frame including side walls, moistening and delivering means between said side walls, said moistening means including a tank having a capillary moisture applying element therein, the upper end of which extends above the surface of the liquid in said tank and is normally in the path of travel of the tape, said tank having an extension projecting outwardly of a side wall of the frame, said extension being open at the top, a fountain closed at the top and having a neck at its lower end terminating in an orifice at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the fountain, said orifice being adapted to be immersed in the liquid in the tank extension, and means on the frame for supporting said fountain in an inclined position whereby the plane of the orifice is at an angle to the level of the liquid in the tank extension, whereby when the level of the liquid falls a small part of the orifice at the top thereof is uncovered permitting gradual entrance of air into the fountain.

3. In a tape moistening machine having a frame including side walls, moistening and delivering means between said side walls, said moistening means including a tank having a capillary moisture applying element therein, the upper end of which extends above the surface of the liquid in said tank and is normally in the path of travel of the tape, said tank having an extension projecting outwardly of a side wall of the frame, said extension being open at the top, a fountain closed at the top and having a neck at its lower end terminating in an orifice at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the fountain, said orifice being adapted to be immersed in the liquid in the tank extension, and means on the frame for supporting said fountain in an inclined position whereby the plane of the orifice is at an angle to the level of the liquid in the tank and extension, whereby When the level of the liquid falls a small part of the orifice at the top thereof is uncovered permitting gradual entrance of air into the fountain, said fountain supporting means comprising a, U-shaped bracket open at the top mounted on the side of the frame of the machine at a point below the top of the machine, no part of said fountain when mounted in said bracket projecting substantially above the top of the machine.

4. In a tape moistening machine having a frame, moistening and delivering means carried by said frame, said moistening means including a tank having a capillary moisture applying element therein, the upper end of which extends above the surface of the liquid in said tank and is normally in the path of travel of the tape, a fountain closed at the top and having connections at its lower end for supplying liquid to the tank, and means on the frame for supporting said fountain in an inclined position, said fountain supporting means comprising a bracket mounted on the side of the frame of the machine at a point below the top of the machine, no part of said fountain when mounted in said bracket projecting substantially above the top of the machine.

5. A tape-moistening machine having a frame including side walls, moistening and delivering means between said side walls, said moistening means including a tank having a portion extending outside of one of said side walls, a fountain inverted in said outside extending portion to form a vacuum seal with liquid in said portion and being adapted to release liquid into said portion and thus into said tank when the vacuum seal of the liquid in said portion is broken, and means to raise and lower said fountain to adjust the level of the water in said tank, said means including a bracket exteriorly mounted on one of said side walls, said bracket supporting the inverted end of said fountain, and a screw threaded in said bracket, an end of which bears against said end of said fountain, said screw being adapted to be adjusted in position in the bracket to adjust the position of the fountain.

THEODORE H. KRUEGER 

